


RinHaru | Long Distance

by uncharacteristic



Category: Free!
Genre: Big Gay Love Story, Drama, Free! Eternal Summer, Friends who get in the way, Gaycrap, Homosexual relationship, Imported Story, Long-Distance Relationship, Love Story, M/M, Relationship Struggles, UNNESSICARY DRAMA
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2017-07-17
Packaged: 2018-12-03 06:19:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11526315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uncharacteristic/pseuds/uncharacteristic
Summary: Two swimmers are stuck an ocean apart, and with the struggles that they are facing, they are forced to hide how they are together for the sake of the rest of their futures. And with friends barging in, trying to figure out what's up, and an unexpected visit, how long can these two keep the act up?





	RinHaru | Long Distance

**Author's Note:**

> This story has been imported from Wattpad- where I am currently trying to salvage the idea and bring it to a site I actually trust and takes its work way more seriously. This will basically use the general idea of the original story, but is much more detailed and better written. It's basically if the original was written correctly and showing off the character's reactions and actions accurately. 
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!

\--Prolouge--

Secrets were never things that Haruka Nanase ever liked having. He figured that you shouldn't have anything to hide, but, in this particular situation, he did have something to hide. He hated keeping this important secret- this relationship- this secret, well, secret. 

For simple backstory, the two gotten together just a year ago. It was a few months after their relationship got mended, and feelings between the two grew. They didn't understand as kids how they were starting to feel for those of the same sex, and one of the more hidden reasons Rin stormed off to Australia in the first place was his brokenness he felt over not being able to impress his developing idol, a boy he was beginning to idolize due to his skills. He soon started to unknowingly like him due to how he idolized him. 

Though, this isn't always the case in an idol and 'fan' relationship, but for Rin and Haru, it was. 

Anyways, feelings were finally being accepted and Rin let it out to him one night after a joint practice when they were both alone in the locker rooms. 

Haru felt the same way back, much to Rin's hope. 

Sense then, it has all been under wraps due to the reasons below.

The man had all the reasons to keep his relationship with Rin Matsouka private. The first being Rin lived in Australia now, and was a professional up-in-coming athlete that was steadly growing popular. 

For him, it was the same as well. He wasn't just some 'swimmer' anymore. He was an a Olympian. A gold medal winner. The public began to enjoy him- more specifically his success- and grew attached as well. 

The second was that both of them were competitors, and fierce ones at that, having a slowly developing iconic competitive hatred for each other. Then came the public that was previously mentioned. If this got out, and the reaction was negitive, it could be a horrible, and possibly career ruining thing, even though neither wanted to admit it. Though, Haru was the one that was at bigger risk. Japan was more homophobic than Australia was, and he was at a higher risk in his country for the above happening than Rin was. This only made school, college, more hard. (They had to take time out of studying to talk to each other, to keep the contact, and had to figure out unique ways to keep their contact secret. It would be suspicious if everyone found out all of the times they talk to each other daily. Especially for competitors. This was especially difficult due to the fact that Makoto, Haru's closest friend, hung out with him for almost every living second.) Both of them still were heading out for a degree in something so once they couldn't professionally swim anymore, they could have something to provide themselves with. They had just started getting heavy salaries, but they still wanted to be able to get a job if they lost all of that money.

As well, their friends and family brought on more concerns.

Haru's parents were homophobic, and never discussed their disgust in public, even though they wanted to. It is blatantly easy to see their dislike for homosexuals when anything revolving around them. 

As for Rin's past caregivers? The lovely two wouldn't mind. All they truthfully cared about still continues to be Rin's happiness, and would lovingly accept Haru into their life. He was a good kid. 

But, Rin wasn't out of the line of homophobia yet. Gou. Both of them were unsure about her. They didn't know what went through her teenage and boy-crazed mind, or if she would be cool with her brother dating another guy. 

Then it came the 'friends' part of that phrase. 

First off, the two were almost definete that Rei and Nagisa, the two that still ran the swim club in high school had something. It was at least a tight friendship, and Rin didn't think they would care. Haru trusted his opinion. 

After that came the harder and more concerning 'friends'.

Of course we couldn't not mention Makoto in this group Makoto. Sweet, sweet Makoto. It wasn't hard to tell that the guy liked Haru. This only contributed to the difficulties of keeping the relationship secret. He was crushing, and had been that way since he was a child. Haru didn't know why he still held onto the hope of being with him, but he did. He refused to give up on the hope he'd be with Haru. 

Now that they see each other every day for college and classes, Haru knew he would soon reveal himself. He's been waiting until they were adults. Not forcing himself on Haru. He wouldn't until they were away from Haru's parents, as in, miles away; as well, he believed that once he was older he would definitely know how he felt, like age would officiate his feelings. It was only a matter before he confessed in both of their eyes. Then came Sousuke, but Rin had once again assured him: "Sousuke wouldn't care. Trust me." He didn't go on, but Haru took a leap of faith with him. He didn't like Sousuke at all. Though the relationship had gotten slightly better, he knew that Sousuke still had a dislike for him.

Through all of those reasons, he still hates hiding it. Secrets always bugged him. Rin soon figured this out, and explained all of this even though Haru knew all of it. 

The diffrent continents, the distance, only made this situation worse. The two, their different situations and countries, made it so difficult. The secrets and lies and secrecy made it only harder and strained the relationship. 

"I feel like it's just unnecessary to keep it all inside." Haru said arrogantly over video call one night. Rin had just told him that he had been seen with a female swimmer one day and the paparazzi assumed that they were keeping the relationship secret. Haru had done a rare thing- he had gotten slightly mad. The reason wasn't just about the girl, it was the fact that Rin hadn't told him that this had happened a week earlier. The situation didn't get any better throughout the week. 

"You have too." Rin tried to smirk, to get the mood lightened. "Do I really have to explain it to you again?" He joked. 

Haru sighed. "No, you don't. Next time just tell me when something like this happenens." He had gone back to his monotone tone by the end of his sentence. 

They got into fights over this as well. This one, over a call at 11:35 pm, only five minutes after Makoto left Haru's apartment right off campus after a late study session. He had to explain to Rin about a horrible rumor that had begun to spread. 

"They accused you of having s*x with a model." 

"You know I didn't actually." 

"You also never denied it either, Haru." 

"It seemed unnecessary." 

"UNNECESSAR-" 

That was the point when they started fighting, and Rin yelling. Haru had to calm him down to explain he wouldn't say any response for another few days, just so it seemed he wasn't 'completely' against the idea, even though he was. It wouldn't stir any suspicion about his relationship status. 

Well, hopefully. 

"It would be better for their relationship," he explained. Even though Rin was more dominant in the physical sense, Haru was typically the one that calmed him down and explained it logically. 

Sometimes though, logic was what they didn't want to talk about. 

Rin often fantasized about a fantasy world, and where they didn't have to hide because of homophobia and the following issues. 

A world where there wasn't even a remote chance that this relationship would ruin their career. There was still a remote chance that this could happen, for both of them , even though it is as ridiculous as it sounds. A world without homophobia, where they could be 'out' and still compete against each other worldwide. 

But when he came to reality, he had plans to visit each other without anyone finding out. 

"You know that would never work." Haru said after Rin had come up with an elaborate plan about how they could commute to each other's apartments without any one finding out. 

The plan consisted of both of them paying to use private-owned airports that were owned by millionaires. One would be in Japan, and Haru would pay the millionaire to use it, and Rin the same in Australia. (Rin said that they would pay to use their airplanes for Rin to travel to Japan and Haru to Australia.) He said that they would buy out a car with blacked-out windows and commute to each other's apartments in the dead of night. 

He said that this would work when they got out of college as well, but, instead of commuting to apartments, it would be fancy houses. They would only travel to each other's houses in the off-season, and they would also pay for a personal trainer at both of their locations that would keep their relationship secret as well. 

It was ridiculous, "but you can only dream" Rin responded, smirking. He wished that they could visit each other regularly, and that plan came out of his thoughts after he thought about how they could visit each other more often. In the past year, Haru only came to Australia once. 

"Busy schedule. School. Swim practice. Exams." Haru had explained simply in a text after Rin questioned why in the previous text. 

Despite the situation, all of the problems, all of the drawbacks, they still stayed together. They still were able to keep the secret, secret. 

But that was all before they made their first slip up.


End file.
